Sound quality differences in streamers

Within the context of using Roon, I have clearly heard sonic differences between different streamers, but not between competent servers.  

Some of the devices discussed in these threads are actually server/streamers as they perform both functions.  When using Roon, it is convenient to network your server, which allows you to operate multiple music systems through different streamers located in different zones throughout your home. 

@mgrif104 thanks for mentioning Positive Feedback's review of Switch X. I had no idea of the inner workings. This unfortunately is beyond my budget but have recently been made aware of the Hyperlink-Network Switch from Fidelizer, available at a very much more affordable price.

I tied but couldn't post a link. Experience with Fidelizer Pro was impressive as are the glowing and numerous reviews of his Nimitra streamer.

Unfortunately, too many people still treat digital like analog. 

Were this a freezing night in 1910, those people would throw a thick blanket over the hood of their new automobile so the engine doesn’t catch cold.

When it comes to digital components, the reality is that the sound quality delta between entry-level and state-of-the-art is far, far narrower than in the analog world, including amplifiers and speakers.

A $200 Chinese DAC is going to sound okay, maybe a little harsh and tinny. Plug it into a good preamp, now it sounds pretty good! Whereas a $200 amp is useless for anything beyond midfi desktop background music to listen to while your zoom meetings are on mute.

It follows that, when building a good system, one’s efforts are best focused on the primary components - preamplifier, amplifiers and speakers. These form the living core of any system. Only if and when that’s dialed does it make sense to shift focus to digital components and cables.

Unfortunately, some believe good analog to be primarily about the pre, amp and speakers, in failing to understand it all begins with the needle and cartridge. Spending any less effort on that and nothing else downstream matters. As with digital, everything within our control begins with the source that picks up the recording.

In friendship - kevin

@kevn 

Pre, amps, and speakers deliver the sound to your ears regardless of which source you listen to. Short of giving a dealer $300000 to seed your system and using that as a baseline to improve upon, it is unclear how you propose to evaluate sources and other components without having a good system core - pre, amps, and speakers - settled.

I think you will agree that there would be no point playing a fine MC cartridge and phono stage through some gear you watch movies on. You’d have absolutely no idea what that cartridge sounds like.

If I missed something I apologize.